


Clinging to You

by songsofnoble



Series: i'm only honest when it rains [1]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Kidnapping, Poison, Protective Doctor (Doctor Who), Thirteenth Doctor Era, drugged, injured
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-03-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:15:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23055328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songsofnoble/pseuds/songsofnoble
Summary: You find yourself kidnapped by The Master in a desperate plea for attention - maybe with your life on the line, she'll finally listen? With you on the brink of death, the Doctor must fight for the antidote to save your life, and make the Master pay for bringing you into the crossfire of their age old duel.( series title is inspired by sleeping at last's neptune )
Relationships: Fe - Relationship, Thirteenth Doctor & Graham O'Brien, Thirteenth Doctor & Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan, Thirteenth Doctor & Yasmin Khan & Graham O'Brien & Ryan Sinclair, Thirteenth Doctor/Reader, Thirteenth Doctor/You
Series: i'm only honest when it rains [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656892
Comments: 21
Kudos: 95





	1. Fragile

"Y/N?!" The familiar voice echoed. It sounded muffled, far away. You felt like you were floating, floating in an abyss. Where were you? The warmth that filled you seemed like a lie, a trick. You were… in a cage? Yes, that's right. You vaguely felt the cold metal of the floor. Everything was jumbled. Why couldn't you remember? The Doctor… where was she? What happened?

_"You're just collateral damage. To both of us, Y/N. You'll see."_

You heard muffled movement, the sound of a door lock being released, and hurried footsteps approaching you. 

"Y/N!" The voice - The Doctor - she was here. But she couldn't be. How?

_"Maybe if your life is on the line, Y/N, the Doctor will finally listen to me."_

The Master, that disembodied voice he - 

"Doctor." you mumbled, your limp hand trying to reach out to the woman. He had done something, injected you with something. A poison? "The Master -" 

"He'll pay for this, I promise you - Y/N, stay with me. You can't fall asleep. The drug will work quicker if you fall asleep."

You were so tired. Tired of fighting. The drowsiness was so overpowering. "I'm sorry." You murmured.

The Doctor let out a nervous laugh, and you felt yourself lift off the ground. "What ever for? It's not your fault you were kidnapped."

Your vision cleared, just a little. You could make out your saviours face, scrunched with worry, hazel-green eyes filled with fear and panic. Your angel. Your Doctor. Her slightly curled blonde hair framed her face, creating an ethereal glow around her. She really seemed like an angel. You adjusted yourself a little, snuggling closer in your dazed state. 

_You can't trust her_ , the voice whispered.

"Doctor, my head." you slurred, whimpering. 

"Yeah, sorry about that, love. The side-effects aren't very fun."

──── ❈ ────

You got whiplash as the Doctor swung around to face the voice.

Her glare hardened, and she held you closer to her chest. "Master."

He smirked, cruelly, a gleeful, childlike glimmer in his eyes as he savoured the sound of his own name in the sick little way he did, and clapped his hands excitedly. "I see you found your pet."

Tighter. "What the hell did you do to her?" 

"A little known drug that works like a poison against humans. They're such fragile creatures. All it takes is a little injection of chemicals, and they're done for." The Master smirked. "Pathetic, really, if you asked me. I never understood why you love them so much.

"Don't listen…." you mumbled clutching to the Doctor's lilac coat desperately, despite how weak and tired you felt. God, you just wanted this to be over. To rest.

"This is personal business, human. Stay out of it." He snapped, the tone of voice shifting, darker. 

You whimpered softly, and it broke the Doctor's heart to see you looking so fragile, so broken, when you were normally so full of life and joy. _This is your fault,_ The Doctor chided herself. _Why do you have to get so attatched to humans? They're so breakable._

Suddenly, you heard more familiar voices heading your way. 

"Which way did she go, Graham?" Yaz. 

"I don't - I don't know, Yaz, but we know Y/N is here. The Doctor might've found her."

"Look," Ryan, an urgency to his tone. "There they are!" 

The Doctor seemed to flinch in surprise, her eyes widening in horror. "I told you to go back to the TARDIS -" 

Yaz scoffed. "Like hell we were going to do that." She gasped, suddenly noticing your weak form held against the Doctor's chest, "Is she-" 

"No," she whispered, gently rocking you a little. "Yaz, take her back to the TARDIS. Please. I need to deal with him."

"But, Doc -" Graham started, glaring at the Master who stood in front of them, smirking, an amused glint in his eyes. Your three friends looked at him with such hatred in their eyes. 

"Make her comfortable. If I don't come back - " 

Ryan moved forwards, a frantic look in his eyes. "Don't say that." He stated firmly. 

The Doctor shook her head. "I have to try and get the antidote from him. If I don't come back, she'll die."

You let out a whimper. "Doctor." You were now in Yaz's arms, but without the Doctor, you felt weightless again. 

The Doctor reached out to you, her hand softly stroking against your cheek as she brushed the hair out of your eyes. You wanted to feel her touch again, and when it was gone you felt nothingness. It was a welcome feeling 

"This is all very sweet and touching but can we get on with the grovelling?" the Master, questioned curtly.

The Doctor's eyes were wide and fearful for her companions. "Go! If I don't come back, the TARDIS is programmed to take you home. Please. I can't lose you three, too." 

Yaz shook her head. "What do we do if she...?" she whispered, her eyes welling up with tears, sharing a worried look with her friends.

"I'm growing impatient, Doctor." The Master's voice was raised. "Be mindful I don't zap one of your little pets with this little old thing." He held up the shrinking device. 

"Go." The Doctor looked to Yaz imploringly, and reluctantly, Yaz nodded, Graham and Ryan looking forlorn and lost, unable to help either of their friends, as they turned and began to run back in the direction of the TARDIS. "And keep her awake!"

  
  



	2. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With your breath growing weaker by the hour, the rest of the Fam must keep you awake while they wait for the Doctor to return with the antidote. Meanwhile, as the Doctor confronts the Master, you, in your dazed, fragile state, try to remember how you ended up at deaths door.

Everything was slow, sluggish, even though you could tell you were moving fast. You could hear Yaz trying to. keep you awake. Little murmurs, of “No, keep your eyes open” or simply mindless chatter to distract not only you but the other two.

To which of course, you responded with a noise of complaint. "S'tired."

Yaz shared a worried glance with Ryan. "I know, Y/N, but if you sleep, you'll die. You need to stay awake till the Doctor gets back."

"The Doctor… where'd she go?" you slurred. 

"The Doc is getting you the antidote, sport." Graham answered, uncharacteristically soft. It unnerved him to see you looking so frail - so broken. You were his _friend_ , and he couldn't do anything to help.

The TARDIS had brought your room closer to the console table, so when they arrived back at the blue box, it was easy to get you to your room and make you comfortable. You kept whimpering as the poison crept closer and closer to your heart. It burned, you noted, even in your haze, the closer it got. You still fought, no matter how exhausted you were. You could feel Yaz's hands running softly through your hair in an effort to calm you down.

Oh, you were so tired.

  
  


“I’ve never seen the Doctor like this.” Ryan said, quietly.

“I don’t blame her for being worried, Ryan. We all were. We all are.” sighed Yaz. 

“Yaz… If she doesn’t come back, what do we do then?” questioned Graham.

Yaz flinched, glancing down at your hand in hers as you shifted slightly, mumbling something under your breath. “I don’t know. The TARDIS will bring us back to earth - God, we’d have to tell her family,” Yaz whispered, choking on her words.

Ryan placed a hand on Yaz’s shoulder comfortingly. “Don’t think like that, Yaz. The Doctor will come back with the antidote, Y/N will be - Y/N will be fine.” He leet out a shaky breath.

Yaz leant against her friend, needing some form of support,

“I hope so, Ryan. I hope so.”

───── ❈ ─────

**14 HOURS PRIOR**

_"Doctor, I have a bad feeling about all of this." You voiced your concerns as The Doctor fumbled with a few switches on the console._

_The Doctor sighed. "You say that everytime we answer one of these, Y/N."_

_"And am I not always right?" your eyebrow quirked upwards._

_The Doctor gave you a look. "No. I mean, yes. But no! I mean…" She ran a hand through her fringe, before stepping forwards and taking your hands in hers with a light squeeze. "Listen, we're just going to pop by, see if everything's alright, and if it turns out to be a dud, we can come back."_

_You sighed, a small smile on your face as your heart fluttered at the gesture. You trusted this woman. This woman with stardust in her eyes. And then she smiled, that angelic, goddamned smile that made your stomach flutter and your heart tremble."Do you trust me, Y/N?"_

_You simply nodded breathlessly, not trusting yourself to open your mouth and not spew something incoherent that would make you feel even more flustered and embarrassed than you already did._

_(The Doctor, on the other hand, beneath all the calm, steadfast exterior, was freaking out that she had just held your hands, and oh my god, your smile -)_

_"Good, now let's get the rest of the fam and get going."_

  
  


───── ❈ ─────

**PRESENT TIME**

The Doctor was kicking herself for not trusting you when you said you had a bad feeling about this particular trip, because he she was, glaring across at her most infamous adversary.

He had the audacity - the _audacity_ \- to bring you into this. You, with your vibrance and your beauty, your innocence. Her fists clenched and unclenched, staring down the insane Timelord in front of her. God, she wanted to punch him. Here he was, watching, calculating, her every movement, with that infuriating smirk on his face.

"Give me the antidote." her tone screamed dangerous, anger, and just a quiver of fear. But it was quiet. _The Oncoming Storm_ , The Master realised with a chuckle.

"Now, Doctor." He spat the name with such venom, such hatred. "Did you really think it would be that easy?" 

She shrugged, "It was worth a try." She smiled bitterly.

She took a step forward. "Why her?" her voice was desperate now. She needed that antidote. 

"Isn't it obvious?" The Master hissed out a laugh. "I knew she was your favourite pet. The way you look at her, Doctor. Only a fool wouldn't notice."

The Doctor shook her head, but she knew he was right. You had wormed your way into her life, into her hearts, and she didn't know what she would become if she lost you. She never wanted the rest of the Fam to see that side of her. It only ended up with more of them hurt, or leaving her. And The Master knew that, which was a dangerous thing.

A therapist would have a field day with her. Scratch that, they'd have a field day with the _Master_.

"Please," she begged. "I'll do anything. Just save her."

The Master seemed to ponder on this for a moment. "I did just need to get your attention. And now I have it. Oh, but it wouldn't be any fun making it that easy, would it?" He looked down at the watch on his wrist. "By the looks of things, Y/NN has about an hour or so left. What are you going to do, Doctor?" 

It was the Doctor's turn to be angry. No, not angry. Furious.

The Oncoming Storm barrelled towards her age old enemy, swinging violently to the side as she slammed him against the wall of the corridor. Both their breaths were heavy, layered.

"Well, that was just rude." He grinned maniacally. He was getting some _sick_ satisfaction out of this. The Doctor had her elbow pinned against his windpipe, and he took this opportunity to search her wild, desperate eyes, filled with a fiery vengeance. 

"You don't know what I told her yet, Doctor. What if she no longer trusts you? What if she turns against you?" He managed to choke out.

──── ❈ ────

**13 HOURS PRIOR**

_"It'll be fine, she said! Just a quick check in to make sure everything was fine, she said!" You yelled sarcastically as you ducked to avoid another explosion. “Let’s not trust Y/N’s instincts - which, by the way have been 99.9% accurate the entire time you’ve been travelling with her - and rush head first into a trap, she said!”_

_The Doctor grunted, pulling you and Yaz along, glancing back to Ryan and Graham to make sure the duo were still behind them. “Okay, so maybe everything didn’t exactly go to plan -” You scoffed. What plan?! “ - and maybe none of us have any idea what is going on but it seems to me this planet is under attack.”_

_“No shit!” you muttered. As you ran, your hand slipped from The Doctor’s momentarily as you grew tired, struggling to keep up, your heart pounding, and then suddenly -_ **_BOOM!_ **

_You heard the others yell your name as you felt yourself get flung to the side, slamming against the ground a few metres away, her ears ringing, gasping as you felt your shoulder crack. The smoke and ash and debris obstructed your view of where you and the rest of the team were, and the violent coughs certainly didn’t help. You could vaguely make out the panicked shouts of your friends but you weren’t sure which direction they were coming from. You reached up to your temple, noticing the cold, wet feeling before realising it was blood. Crap. You probably had a concussion, a fall that bad ..._

_God, you were so tired. Tired of running. You felt your body tilt forwards slightly, feeling lightheaded and wobbly. You leant against the remains of a house's wall, trying to steady yourself, blinking to try and stay awake. No. You couldn’t pass out. Not right now. You tried to call out for the Doctor, Yaz, anyone, but it was no use. Your voice was too hoarse, and you were so tired._

_And then all of a sudden a new - albeit blurry - figure came into view. “Help me -” you managed to get out, reaching out to the silhouette with pleading eyes._

_You gasped as the silhouette became more solid, more real. You wished you had been imagining it._

_"You."_


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He stopped, his back to the glass, as he seemed to ponder what to say next. "So, you really don't know who The Doctor is?" He swung around, facing you again. 
> 
> You recalled Ryan's words of reassurance to The Doctor after she had revealed who Ruth was to you and the Fam. 'Whoever you were in the past or are in the future, we know who you are right now.' 
> 
> You had smiled reassuringly at The Doctor. Whatever had happened with Ruth - with the Other Doctor - had shaken her up pretty bad. Maybe she didn't even know who she was anymore. She just needed assurance, someone to let her know it doesn't really matter, not when you have people who care about you. 
> 
> "I know enough to know I trust her." You quipped, a flare of bravery spurring inside of you. 

**─── ❈ ───**

**13 HOURS PRIOR**

_ “You.”  _

_ The Master smirked. “Yes, me.” _

_ You shook your head, ignoring the stab of pain that came with it as you did. How was he here? The Kassavin zapped him to wherever Yaz and The Doctor ended up, right? “How?” you croaked out, stumbling backwards as he stepped towards you. _

_ He chuckled darkly, “Oh, I have my ways, love.” _

_ You felt your breath quicken as you realised there was no way out of this. You could barely stand as it is, and you couldn’t figure out any kind of plan in your state. And the Master knew this. _

_ “You can’t run, Y/N.” he clarified, seeing the cogs whirring in your jumbled mind, your eyes desperately fleeting around the clearing of debris. _

_ You could hear the shouts of your name getting closer, and you prayed they’d find you in time. _

_ The Master’s eyes flickered to the direction of the noise with a short laugh. “If you try calling out for them, I could kill you in a second.” He raised the shrinking device in an effort to intimidate you. It worked. You now had your back pressed against another crumbling wall, lost at where to go next.  _

_ “W-what are you going to do to me?” you asked, lips quivering . You hated how pathetic you sounded. But everything hurt, and you were so tired. So very tired. _

_ He cocked his head to the side. “Well, I’m not going to kill you. Not yet, anyway.” _

_ That didn’t make you feel any better. _

_   
_ _ You had sunk to the floor by this point, trembling, as the Master stalked towards you menacingly. _

_ “First,” He started, kneeling down in front of you, “I’m just going to administer a quick sedative.” _

_ You shook your head rapidly, protesting, as his hand moved towards your neck, a syringe in between his fingers. You tried to fight back but the exhaustion and the effects of the concussion had started to set in, so all you could do was accept the inevitable as you slumped forwards, darkness overcoming your senses.  _

**─── ❈ ───**

**PRESENT TIME**

The Doctor faltered, her hazel eyes brimming with confusion. 

"They could be lies, yes. But that's all you need," He raised his finger. "One small thing to light that little spark of distrust." 

"Give. Me. The. Antidote." The Doctor hissed. She began to feel in his pockets, praying for some miracle, that the Master was toying with her, and he'd be foolish enough to have the cure in his pockets. She let out a triumphant noise as she pulled out the syringe, but she hesitated. He didn’t seem to care. Didn't seem bothered by her thwarting his plans yet again, not even a little. Still with that same infuriating smirk plastered on his face.

She didn’t care right now. She couldn’t care. All she had to do was get the antidote, and get back to you. So, hoping to take him by surprise, she raised her knee to his crotch, only half-enjoying it as he doubled over in pain, giving her time to run.

“Doctor!” He roared, anger coursing through his veins. “I told you everything you knew was a lie. You'll have to face it eventually, and when you do, you'll be thanking me!” 

She was grateful he didn’t seem to be pursuing her, but something felt off. It was too easy. The Doctor wasn’t used to things being easy. Especially not when it comes to him. She shook her head as she ran, hoping to make it back to the TARDIS on time. She tried not to think about what The Master had said - He’d said the same thing before he vanished on the plane, way back when. What did it all mean? Since then - everything with Ruth - the Other Doctor - she couldn’t help but wonder.

No. She couldn’t dwell on her own problems right now. She had to get her priorities straight. You. She had to get to you.

**─── ❈ ───**

**9 HOURS PRIOR**

_ Danger. That word, that single word was running through your brain as you stirred. _

_ Everything ached, and your head, oh, your head. It was killing you. _

_ You didn’t want to open your eyes. You didn’t want to see where you were. Bits and pieces came back as your body seemed to wake up. You groaned softly, pushing yourself up the best you could. _

_ It suddenly hit you; you didn't recognise where you were - and then you remembered. You let out a frustrated sigh. You were in a containment cell. At least, you assumed that’s what it was. Your wrists hurt, you realised. You adjusted yourself so you were sat with your back to the cell wall. It was, white, blinding, and your eyes stung from it. Cuffs. You were chained to the wall. How long had you been out? A few hours? A day? You thought of The Doctor and your friends. They must be worried sick. They probably think you died in that explosion. You felt tears well up in your eyes at that thought. No. He was probably watching. You couldn’t show weakness. _

_ "Good, you're awake." You jumped at the sound of the voice, your eyes fleeting to the window in a panic. So much for not showing weakness.  _

_ The Master stood at the glass window, which you had to assume was the entrance to your cell aswell, as you couldn't see a possible entry way from inside. Even from a single glance, and in your current state, you could practically  _ **_see_ ** _ the rage and the anger rolling off of him in waves. _

_ You leant against the back of the cell for support as you pushed yourself to your feet, taking a defensive stance. "Unfortunately." you spat, although you imagined it wasn't as mean sounding as you thought it was. _

_ The Master shook his head, tutting softly. "Y/N, can't you see I'm only trying to help you?" _

_ You actually laughed at that, gesturing around at where you were. "This - this is helping in your books?" you snorted. "Knocking me out, drugging me, when I probably already had a concussion, and several other injuries, and then locking me up?  _ **_That's_ ** _ your definition of  _ **_help_ ** _?" _

_ The Master clenched and unclenched his fists, placing his hands on the glass in front of him, analysing you with that quiet, simmering rage. "What do you actually know about The Doctor, Y/N?"  _

_ You faltered, feeling a wave of confusion wash over you. Well, you weren't expecting that. "What is this, 20 questions?" you nervously chuckled.  _

_ He slammed his palms this time, his eyes like daggers, and you flinched, jerking backwards a little. " _ **_What do you know_ ** _?"  _

_ "S-She's a Timelord, from a planet named Gallifrey." your voice trembled as you spoke. _

_ "What else?" he snapped.  _

_ You wracked your brain trying to remember - Yes! "She, uh, keeps saying she used to be a man? So, she must have some sort of shape-shifting, o-or regenerating, ability."  _

_ The Master smiled coldly. "Ah, well, only a word of that is actually true." he shrugged, "I'll leave it up to you to figure out which." _

_ You furrowed your brows, watching his next movements carefully. He had begun pacing, you noted quietly.  _

_ He stopped, his back to the glass, as he seemed to ponder what to say next. "So, you really don't know who The Doctor is?" He swung around, facing you again.  _

_ You recalled Ryan's words of reassurance to The Doctor after she had revealed who Ruth was to you and the Fam. ' _ **_Whoever you were in the past or are in the future, we know who you are right now._ ** _ '  _

_ You had smiled reassuringly at The Doctor. Whatever had happened with Ruth - with the Other Doctor - had shaken her up pretty bad. Maybe she didn't even know who she was anymore. She just needed assurance, someone to let her know it doesn't really matter, not when you have people who care about you.  _

_ "I know enough to know I trust her." You quipped, a flare of bravery spurring inside of you.  _

_ "Her entire existance is a lie!" The Master suddenly cut in. "She doesn't even trust  _ **_herself_ ** _ right now, does she? How can you trust someone who can't even trust themselves? How can you  _ **_love_ ** _ someone you've hardly scraped the surface of? Don't you know Rule #1? The Doctor Lies." _

_ You spluttered at the word love, taking a moment to register the fact he'd even said it, feeling your face heat up at the realisation. The Master scoffed, cutting in before you could even jump in, "Oh, don't even try and deny it, I'm telepathic, remember? Plud, you're hardly subtle about it." _

_ You stood, your mouth gaped like a goldfish, your brain all in jumbles.  _

_ "And, I know she feels the same way about you." he cocked his head curiously, a malicious look in his eyes. "I wonder how she would feel if she found her favourite pet hanging on to life by a thread." _

_ Your eyes widened, not really knowing which part of that sentence should concern you more - the fact The Doctor possibly feels the same way about you as you did her, or the fact he was going to use your life as a bargaining chip.  _

_ You shook your head, trying to mask your fear with a glare. "You're wrong." _

_ The Master smirked, leaning against the glass, his arms crossed. "Am I? Tell me, you've been missing for, oh, four hours, now? Do you think the Doctor is even looking for you anymore?"  _

_ Your throat constricted, tears stinging your eyelids. _

_ Your sorrow seemed to spark something of joy in The Master, and he clapped his hands in a sick, child-like manner. "Oh, but don't worry your little human heart, love. I've made sure to leave a few clues as to our whereabouts. She won't be giving up just yet." He smirked, turning to leave. "I'll be back in a tick."  _

_ You couldn't take it anymore. You practically flung yourself forwards, and began pounding your fists against the glass. You didn't care anymore. All you could see was blinding red fury - "Let me go, you bastard!" you choked back a sob on your words. "Let me go!" _

_ But he paid your frustration no heed, and all you could do was pound on the glass till your knuckles bled raw, watching helplessly as The Master retreated, leaving you alone once more. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer than I thought it would because it ended up being mostly flashbacks - next chapter will probably be similar - I'm planning on this being at the most 6 chapters, probably. I'm excited to get to the end :) 
> 
> Also, just throwing this out there that I'm now accepting prompts! Shoot me an ask on tumblr (timelessnoble) if you have any prompts - specifically for Doctor Who (and i'm more likely to accept thirteen prompts) i might add - you'd like to see me write! xx

**Author's Note:**

> This was fun to write! I'm super excited to show her interacting with the Master in the next chapter! i can't believe this story has 19 kudos, and over 140 hits so far - thank you for all the lovely comments as well!


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